Gaining Your Trust Again
by FearlessTiger
Summary: After the ANBU brought Sasuke back, he is still a bit reluctant to completely join Konoha and forget his plans. But that is not what affects him the most, to his surprise. His former friends pretty much hate him, so when he realizes that he does belong with them, he tries to get back their trust... even love? WILL BE SasuSaku!
1. Meeting Sakura

Gaining Your Trust Again

Chapter 1: Meeting Sakura

She stared at the man before her. She hadn't seen him in a very long time and couldn't miss the changes in his appearance. He had grown taller, much taller than her and his features were more defined. He was a very attractive person, no one could deny that, but she knew better. She knew what was underneath the trained body and the raven, messy hair. And she did not like it anymore.

Sasuke was chained and lied in the darkest cell existing in Konoha, at the Hokage's request. He was a dangerous missing nin, so almost everyone agreed quickly, the only exception being Naruto, who still considered Sasuke his best friend, his brother.

The kunoichi had to shake her head at the thought. Naruto was the most stubborn person she had ever met, yet, sometimes, she could not understand his reasoning. Why would he try to protect Sasuke after all he had done to him, to all of them? To Konoha?

Sakura sighed. It was not the time to think of her blonde friend: she had a more important mission to accomplish at the moment, a direct order from the Hokage herself. And yet, she briefly wondered what Naruto would think if he knew what she was about to do. But the kunoichi pushed the thought aside quickly and opened the cell's door with a crack.

Earlier, she was able to see her former teammate's seemingly asleep form through the door's window, yet now she had a full view of Sasuke, who was currently facing her with his eyes closed, lying on the cold bed in the complete darkness.

Due to her years of harsh training, Sakura's eyes were used to the darkness and she could see almost clearly if she concentrated a small amount of chakra in her jade eyes. She was almost like ' a cat', like Naruto had told her.

Sakura pushed any last thought to the back of her head and only hesitated for a moment, before straightening her back and summoning the most emotionless and cold voice she possessed.

''I'm aware you're awake, so you may as well stand and be proper, Uchiha,'' she said, very satisfied with herself as she had been just as cold as she had planned to be.

Sasuke's eyes shot open and his Sharingan activated instantly, small, red lights in the darkness of the night. He stood without a sound, the chains at his wrists and ankles limiting his movements. He sent Sakura a frightening glare, but she was not impressed at all.

In fact, she glared back, just as menacingly, not showing any kind of weakness. ''I see you haven't changed at all, if that is still your way of saying hello,'' the kunoichi spat, confidently taking a step towards the chained ninja.

''Hn,'' was the answer she got. Sakura was going to make another bitter comment when he continued. ''I wonder how tough you'd be if I had these chains off.''

He was as impertinent as ever, and it had Inner Sakura fuming and begging the real one to rip the chains off him and beat him to a pulp. But the kunoichi knew better. She put her hands on her hips, the cold look on her face rivaling Sasuke's for the first time in their lives.

''I wonder how impertinent you'd be if you were aware who you're talking to,'' she spat back. A small joke formed in the back on her mind when a little voice remarked how well they were catching up, but Sakura ignored it, noticing when Sasuke almost imperceptibly lifted his eyebrows in curiosity. The kunoichi resisted the urge to smirk. He didn't think she still was the lovestruck weakling he had left on a bench years ago, did he?

Sakura sharpened her glare and brought a hand to her hip. ''Well, _Uchiha_, you are talking to the former apprentice of the Hokage herself, now an ANBU member, specialized in chakra control and medicine.''

She couldn't hold back the pride in her voice, but neither did she want to, especially when she saw Sasuke lift his eyebrows again, almost in surprise, and then nod in acknowledgement.

Sakura felt the need to smile and frown at the same time, then decided to do none. After all, that was all she had wanted: her friends acknowledging her. Naruto had, Kakashi had, even Tsunade, the Hokage, had, and now there was Sasuke. The need to smile came from the feeling of her stroked ego, but she wanted to frown at the situation they were in at that moment. She quickly got a hold of her emotions and cleared her throat, preparing to voice the reason of her presence.

''_Uchiha_, I am not here to discuss my achievements over the years. I am here to offer you two choices. You will have to choose one of them and the choice you make will dictate your life from now on.''

Sasuke nodded, almost absentmindedly, as if he just wanted her to finish her speech and leave him with his own thoughts. It annoyed her beyond measure, so she unconsciously spoke louder, making his head shoot up, as if taken by surprise. He could see the menacing stare she kept on him with his Sharingan and had decided not to question her greatly improved eyesight, but having the girl he remembered to be weak and shy almost yelling at him had surprised him for a moment, but he then listened to what she had to say.

''Now listen to me carefully, because I will not repeat myself. I understood you've achieved your childhood goal, but found out it was not enough to satisfy you. You now want revenge on Konoha. Fortunately for us, we, ANBU, caught you in time.''

Sasuke realized that she was speaking as if she had been there at his capture as well, and he vaguely remembered one of the ANBU wearing an outfit similar to her own. He needed a moment to catch his breath, though, when he remembered the individual to have killed Juugo all by herself, with only her fists and some well placed weapons. He had been quite surprised at the moment, but, with Sakura in the room, he felt the need to gulp. Just how strong had she become?

She continued, not noticing his small revelation. ''All of your teammates are dead, as you probably know. We took good care of them. And yet, we are all aware that if we let you go freely in Konoha, you may be quite a trouble to handle and we wouldn't want you harming anyone in the village.''

Sasuke voiced a small 'Tch' at her remarks, but he was not surprised to be ignored by the kunoichi. He wasn't sure if he liked the new Sakura. She was darker, colder, and definitely much stronger. He then thought about Naruto: if _Sakura_ had grown so much, what had he been up to?

Sasuke pushed the thought aside quickly. Whether he liked it or not, Naruto and Sakura were still his weaknesses. At first, he didn't want to admit, but they had both made their way into his frozen heart and stayed there, no matter what he did or who he killed. And he tried to push them out, he even mustered the strength to kill Sakura once, but Naruto was quick and quite heroic to her rescue and his chance was gone.

Besides, he had nightmares of that day afterwards. How he forced the air out of her lungs when he grabbed her neck, and her choked scream… All these haunted him for a while, and he never had the courage to hurt her afterwards. And yet, judging by her menacing behavior, she surely did not have the same thoughts about _him_.

Sasuke's lips twitched as he thought. What would Sakura think, he wondered, if she knew that the emotionless Sasuke actually cared for her more than she did for him?

His slight smirk, unfortunately, did not go unnoticed by Sakura, who took a very different meaning to it. ''Unbelievable. After all this time, you're still so arrogant,'' she faked a marveled expression as she spoke, and Sasuke was a bit taken aback, not knowing where she was coming from.

''Hn?''

This time, her left eye twitched. ''I do not have time for your antics, Uchiha! Now you'd better listen to me, and I promise I will leave you to yourself after I get my answer.''

Though Sasuke was still a bit confused, the idea seemed appealing, so he nodded his head and motioned for her to continue with his hand, which she did, a little tiredly, as if he were a complicated little Academy kid.

''Since we all know your intentions and, might I add, we are definitely not happy with them, you need to choose: you either stay on your current path, and suffer the worst physical and mental torture we, Konoha ninja can give you; death, eventually, before you even achieve your purpose. Or you can give up your silly ideas of revenge, join Konoha, and your betrayal will slowly be forgotten, as you earn our trust again. It's your choice, Uchiha, and you'd better choose wisely.''

As she finished speaking, Sakura eyed her former teammate carefully, searching for signs that could tell her he had taken a decision. But Sasuke's eyes, now back to their onyx colour, were staring at the floor and his eyebrows were furrowed in deep contemplation.

Sakura could see that he needed more time to think, so she cleared her throat and spoke again. ''I will be here tomorrow, at the same hour. You will have chosen until then, no exception. For now, I'll let you think.''

With that, she walked towards the wooden door, mildly satisfied with herself. After all, her behavior was just the way she had wanted it to be, and she could see that Sasuke was quite perplexed at her new attitude, something she had never seen in the Uchiha.

But Sasuke's voice interrupted her thoughts and the mental party Inner Sakura was throwing.

''You gave yourself away, you know.''

She didn't understand, so she turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder, expecting an explanation. What could he mean? She gave herself away with what?

Thankfully, the explanation did come, from a very smug looking Sasuke. ''You wouldn't be giving me this chance, if you were as cold towards me as you seem to be. You haven't really changed, Sakura. You still love me, don't you?''

The kunoichi then understood. For once in his life, Sasuke wasn't getting what he wanted. She figured that, even in his previous team that was now dead, there had been someone considering him a god. The one with the red hair, maybe? She had been quite 'protective' of him during the fight, but Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Yet she was sure of one thing. Sasuke was used to practically being considered a prodigy and, for once, he was feeling overpowered not only by Konoha, but of her as well, and he wanted to humiliate her to ease his mental tumult.

Sakura turned her back to him and started walking away, only stopping to open the door, which cracked. But then, she spoke, careful not to face him.

''If you want to think that this offer has anything to do with love, you may believe that the Hokage is in love with you: I am only her messenger.''

She couldn't stand it anymore; she had to see his expression. She turned around and gave him a sweet smile, while lifting her index finger, her trademark gesture. ''Actually, if I had a say in all this business, you'd be starving to death in a forgotten cell while being eaten by rats.''

The last thing she saw before she walked away cheerfully was Sasuke's jaw hitting the floor.

**AN: So, hello, this is my VERY FIRST Naruto fic, and… yeah… Hopefully I don't suck. xD Sakura seems mean in this chapter (umm, cut that, she IS mean), but she'll get back to normal later. HECK, EVERYBODY'S gonna be a little mean to Sasuke, that's what this story is about! Whatever. I'll stop rambling and wait for some reviews, maybe? It's my first take on Naruto, I've gotta know how I did, don't you think? :D**

**Disclaimer: Ahh, you'll get used to how much I hate this thing… May I own Sakura? No? Oh, fine…**


	2. A Decision

Gaining Your Trust Again

**AN: Yayyyyy, so I did well? CHA! Double win! (Yeah, cause school is over too!) ^^. Thank you for your reviews, guys! And here's the second chapter! But, err… Ya know, I'm kinda going to the seaside tomorrow, so I won't be updating during the next week, BUT I'm coming home next weekend since Evanescence is coming to Romania and there's no way in heck I'm gonna miss them! And I'll try to update then, before… Leaving again. Haha, summer…**

**Disclaimer: You'll follow me in death too, won't you?**

Chapter 2 (part 1): A decision

She was late, he thought. The previous night, she had said that she'd be there at the same hour, yet it was almost morning. Not that he wanted to see her, anyways. After what she told him? He was angry enough with himself for giving her the satisfaction of seeing a surprised expression on his usually emotionless face.

Sasuke unconsciously glared at the floor from his sitting position, remembering her words. True, he had wanted to humiliate her, even with a cheap stab at her emotions, but never did he imagine that those emotions, so clear and suffocating once, now existed no more. And in the end, he ended up being the humiliated one.

But why would he care, he wondered. When he was young, he used to believe her infatuation was mildly annoying. And it was, not necessarily because of her displays of affection, but because he thought that she only liked him for his looks and skills. And yet, during the Chunin exams, she took good care of his wounds and also risked her life for him. When he woke up and realized it, anger started to build up inside of him and, with the help of the curse mark, he beat those ninja mercilessly.

Even though every person present at the time believed he had had no influence on his own mind, he had. And, ever since, he respected her more and more, and acknowledged her love for him, even though he didn't return the feeling. Also, on the night he left Konoha, he thanked her for the love she had offered him. Maybe she wasn't aware, but she had made the traumatized child feel like he had a family again. And his family was her and Naruto. That is why he kept them in his heart, as much as he told them otherwise.

Of course, at first, he had tried to deny it. He honestly had. But, as time passed, he realized that he would become even more vulnerable if he denied his weaknesses, so he finally accepted his feelings for both of them.

The cracking door interrupted his thoughts and memories and the ninja instantly looked up. Even though he expected to see a pink-haired, emotionless kunoichi looking at him coldly, he was met with a single eye staring at him, and gray hair.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow questioningly. Kakashi was the last visitor he expected to see. Even though he used to be his sensei, Sasuke did not give him any sign of recognition or respect, not bothering to greet him.

And yet, that lifted eyebrow of his showed that he was aware of his presence. It was more than enough for Kakashi.

''You seem quite surprised to see me, Uchiha. And yet, I know you were expecting someone,'' the jounin's voice broke the rather awkward silence the two were sharing, and he bluntly moved to sit next to his former student.

Sakura didn't do that, Sasuke remarked, but he was not sure whether it was because she was afraid of him or she hated him so much she didn't want to share any contact. He would have preferred the first but he rather sadly realized it was the latter.

Sasuke quickly turned his attention to his former sensei, remembering his previous words. He offered an icy glare as a response.

''That someone wasn't you. And your tardiness is not something I like,'' he spat, even though he clearly remembered that Kakashi was never in time for anything or anyone.

The jounin's grin was visible underneath his mask, as he eyed Sasuke carefully. ''I'm afraid I couldn't let Sakura meet you again – at least for now, when you need to make a choice between life and death. As I could see last night, she could easily make you choose death just so you wouldn't have to deal with her,' he chuckled, ignoring Sasuke's sharpened glare.

''You were _spying_ on us?'' he demanded, suddenly standing and glaring at Kakashi with a crimson Sharingan.

The jounin, though, didn't seem to notice his change in position, his activated Sharingan and the words he just spoke. He just continued with his own idea.

''They both grew up a lot, Naruto and Sakura. Everyone in Konoha respects and fears them at the same time,'' Kakashi said with pride, before finally looking up at Sasuke with a tinge of sadness in his visible eye. ''I am very proud of the remains of Team 7.''

For a very short moment, Sasuke felt a sharp pain in his heart, almost regretting his departure for the first time in years. But the feeling was quickly gone, and he grunted as a response as he deactivated his Sharingan and sat back down.

Silence filled the air for long minutes, but neither of them seemed to mind. Sasuke was used to the silence and, besides, he truly needed a few moments with himself only, to think about his former teammates and their achievements. He had already seen Sakura, and he could tell by her attitude only that she was incomparably stronger than before. And he had a sudden desire to see Naruto as well. He wanted to find out if he was still the dobe he barely beat years ago.

''You may as well tell me your decision, since I can see that having a conversation with you is increasingly difficult.''

Kakashi's voice once again snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts and he turned his head to the side, to give his former sensei a blank look. The sun was rising, so they both could see each other more and more clearly and Sasuke could have a better look at the jounin. When they fought, he couldn't really focus on his appearance, and that was a good year ago anyways.

Almost envious, he noticed no real change in his face, as much as he could see of it, and he appeared to be the same weight as before.

What he did notice was a new book slightly sliding out of his pocket, but he couldn't see the cover or the title, yet he quickly decided he didn't want to, either. Sasuke looked back to his face and, by the jounin's expression, he was patiently waiting for his answer. The missing nin hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and prepared to speak.

''I…''

''By the way,'' Kakashi interrupted him at the beginning of his sentence, which annoyed Sasuke a bit, ''All the elders of Konoha are dead of old age and they have been for quite a while.''

Sasuke's mouth remained open and he stared at Kakashi almost like a silly child, for quite a few moments. His life had just made a 360 degrees turn and his mind was suddenly blank.

Kakashi smirked at his expression and continued. ''The last of them died a few weeks ago, in his sleep, a peaceful, non-painful death.''

Sasuke growled unconsciously. That wasn't the way it should have ended. All of them were supposed to be killed mercilessly and die a slow and painful death for what they did to his clan! He was going to say he chose to die rather than to live in the village that had been so unfair to the Uchiha clan, then kill whoever stood in his way and achieve his ultimate goal.

But now, he was surely going to choose death and torture. He had nothing to live for anymore. Besides, he had noticed the way both Sakura and Kakashi spat his name like an insult. There was no way he would live with that kind of people for the rest of his life.

Once again, Kakashi interrupted him just as he spoke. Sasuke shot him a mildly annoyed glare, but he let him spoke. What mattered, anyway? He was going to be tortured and killed. Might as well hear a human voice before he met his killers.

''But, since the ANBU members were already on your tracks when he passed away,'' he looked at the floor sadly for a moment, before continuing, ''and he trusted their abilities, he left me a letter for you. I have it with me, and I assure you, no hand has touched it other than mine, to give it to you,'' as he spoke, he searched in his pockets and eventually took out a small, folded sheet of paper, which had the emblem of Konoha on it. He silently put it in Sasuke's hand, seemingly avoiding contact with his pale skin.

The missing nin noticed this, but made no comment. He then unfolded the letter and started reading it. Kakashi tactfully moved away from his former student, offering him privacy. But he had to notice the changing expressions on Sasuke's face. At first his face was blank. Then, his eyes widened, something that had Kakashi lifting an eyebrow. Next, Sasuke's jaw fell and, by the time he finished reading the letter, the shocked expression on his face almost had Kakashi concerned.

And yet, the elder had told him that it was surprising information that only certain people knew of. Kakashi knew nothing of the letter's content, except that it involved Konoha's reason for having done what had been done to the Uchiha clan. He figured that Sasuke would be bewildered and also that he would do everything in his power to stop himself from believing: after all, he had suffered so much and had wanted revenge even more – now that he found out the truth, all his life goals were probably dissipating right before his eyes.

He took another folded sheet of paper from his pockets. This one looked much older, compared to the one Sasuke was currently staring at, it was yellow and torn, but he figured it was readable, otherwise the respected man wouldn't have given it to him.

Approaching his former student silently, he lent him the sheet of paper. When Sasuke made no move to grab it, his eyes being fixated on the received letter, Kakashi put it on his lap. Sasuke finally noticed the new sensation and his onyx eyes moved down and scanned it, before giving Kakashi a questioning, yet sill shocked look.

''The proof,'' was all Kakashi said. Truthfully, that was all he knew anyways. The late elder of Konoha was well known for his secrecy and the repercussions of the people who did not respect it. Even in death, the jounin carried respect for him, especially since they had been close friends.

Sasuke silently read what was written on the old sheet of paper. When he finished, he dropped both letter and document, feeling it was becoming too much for him. The only thing he did was look at Kakashi and say one word.

''Out.''

**Chapter 2(part 2): A decision**

The jounin was waiting patiently outside Sasuke's cell, waiting for his former student to open the door for him once again. It had been an hour, but Kakashi figured that Sasuke had suffered a terrible shock, all information being blasted upon him in only one morning.

In a way, he felt sorry for the young man. He had been through more than a person should, all at such a young age. And yet, he assured himself, it was no reason for him to leave Konoha, driven by his almost selfish wishes and blind revenge. He had left behind him only sorrow and broken hearts at first, but, as time passed, he started leaving behind him corpses and blood. For that, he had no excuse.

Every ninja in Konoha that had known Sasuke now had the same opinion, even Naruto. Although the blonde still considered Sasuke to be his friend, he had sworn to himself he would make the missing nin pay for what he had done. ''Even if it meant hitting his sorry ass with a Rasengan ten times per day'', as Naruto himself had said.

Kakashi didn't have much time to smile to himself at the memory, since the door suddenly burst open and he looked up to see a, once again, emotionless Sasuke.

''I'm staying,'' was all he said, before closing the door once again, a bit forcefully.

It happened a bit too fast for Kakashi, since he was taken aback, so he found himself blinking at the wooden door in front of him for two seconds, before his brain was able to comprehend the past minute.

But when it did, the jounin couldn't suppress a smile as he started walking away. ''So,'' he spoke to himself, ''Sasuke is back, huh?''

''HE'S BACK?'' was also what Naruto yelled in the Hokage's office later that morning, when Kakashi told him, Sakura and Tsunade what happened during his meeting with Sasuke.

Tsunade glared at him icily, reminding the young ninja of the one rule that said that it was strictly forbidden to speak louder than necessary in her office. When Naruto hid behind a stoic Sakura, Tsunade sighed and turned her attention back to Kakashi.

''I see… You used to be his sensei, Kakashi. When do you think it would be safe to release him?'' she asked for his opinion, being aware of his knowledge of his former student that was obviously vaster than hers.

Surprisingly, the jounin did not hesitate or even stop to think of the possibilities. ''Straight away,'' he said firmly and confidently.

The room errupted. Tsunade stood from her chair and was the fastest to speak. ''That cannot be, Kakashi! He was just barely captured a few days ago by a specifically trained ANBU squad, which also included Naruto and Sakura! We cannot simply let him walk freely on the streets of Konoha!''

Naruto quickly hurried to Kakashi, who was calmly leaning on the wall with his visible eye closed. The blonde had an alarmed look on his face as he spoke. ''Grandma's right! I probably want Sasuke out of that cage the most, but we can't let him out so fast!''

Sakura, however, hadn't moved from her spot, but she was looking from Tsunade to Kakashi continuously, with a confused expression. ''Shishou,'' she finally said, eyeing the Fifth Hokage, ''Shouldn't we let Kakashi-sensei explain? Maybe he has a plan. And Naruto,'' the medic added, turning her head to her left to look menacingly at the blonde who had again voiced his thoughts in a loud manner, ''I dare you to yell in this office again.''

Kakashi sighed at his companions' antics and rubbed his temple tiredly. ''Ne, ne… Doesn't Sakura-chan have a point, Lady Tsunade? You did not let me finish…''

With a groan, the Hokage slumped back in her chair and called for Shizune, who, knowing her Master, immediately appeared with a bottle of sake in her hands. ''Apologies, Kakashi,'' she muttered after finishing the bottle in one breath.

The jounin nodded and continued with what he would have said if he hadn't been interrupted. ''We can release Sasuke straight away, as he will be in the company of two extremely skilled ANBU members at all times – when he isn't training, one will watch him throughout the whole day, while the other will observe him at night. I trust their abilities and I am confident that Sasuke will be no problem for them to handle,'' Kakashi explained, gesturing with his hand as he spoke.

The three other ninja in the room exchanged glances and Tsunade spoke eventually. ''I trust you, Kakashi. Therefore, I also trust your judgment. You may do with Sasuke as you please,'' she declared calmly, then whispered to Shizune, who remained by her side, to bring more sake. As the kind woman left with a sweat drop, the Hokage waved her hand at her subordinates with a tired expression. ''Dismissed.''

The three ninja bowed and quietly exited the room, Sakura's threat still clear in the hyperactive blonde ninja's head. They walked down the corridors in silence, until Kakashi halted his movements, making his two star students stop as well. Naruto and Sakura looked at him, confused.

The jounin motioned to the door next to him, a door the ANBU members knew to lead to the Konoha jail. After sharing a look, Naruto and Sakura glanced back at their sensei, who smiled at them in a very cheerful manner. ''Shall we go welcome Sasuke back to Team 7?''

Naruto and Sakura seemed alarmed, and Naruto was the first to voice his confusion. ''Back to Team 7? But you said he'd be…''

''Supervised by two extremely skilled ANBU members,'' Kakashi nodded, just as cheerfully, as he opened the door for the two ninja.

Then it dawned on them.


	3. Team 7

Gaining Your Trust Again

**AN: Bwah! Do you know how BORING and TIRING it is to just sit in a train for 5 hours by yourself and do absolutely nothing? I'm a hyperactive little monkey, I was gonna EXPLODE! *Sigh* Anyways, here's the chapter you've been waiting for, and ya better like it, cause I'm gonna be out until the 20th of July or so. Don't worry, it's nice and long and no cliffie (Unless you're a pervert... You'll get what I mean). Oh! And a special little note to Katsumi Hatake, saying a thank you for the nice review and... IKR EVANESCENCE ROCKS! *Crazy fan mode out***

**Disclaimer: My, my, such a delicate situation you and I are in. And so, I have a matter of great importance to discuss with thee. You see, a brilliant suggestion was offered to me by one of my faithful companions from real life, that I should battle you, from now on, with the most powerful force on Earth: memes. Your survival in this war is not guaranteed. LIKE A SIR AND STRAIGHT INTO YO FACE, DISCLAIMER! SEE IF YOU CAN SURVIVE A MEME BEING PUT AGAINST YOU IN EVERY CHAPTER! Mwaha...I...hahaha...don't...haHAaha...own...HAHA...Naruto..haaaaa...**

Chapter 3: Team 7

''Naruto.''

The silence the two former teammates were sharing was broken by the one that was less likely to start a conversation, yet the fact went unnoticed by the other one, who had been enjoying a tasty bowl of ramen. However, at hearing his name, Naruto turned his head to the side and softly let the sticks he was using for eating fall numbly in the almost empty bowl.

He noticed that Sasuke wasn't looking at him, but his eyes were fixated on the hot soup he hadn't even touched. It wasn't out of the ordinary for the missing nin, though. Even when they were all genin, when their team went out together for a meal, he'd barely speak or touch the food. Sometimes, Naruto would wonder how Sasuke's body never changed from strong and athletic to skinny.

But now, the ANBU member didn't bother himself with those questions. His blue eyes didn't leave Sasuke's face for a moment and he knew that the missing nin was aware of his stare. Yet when, for another long second, his former friend said nothing, thoughts invaded Naruto's mind, thoughts he didn't see coming but couldn't push away.

Seeing Sasuke for the first time in a very long while was giving him mixed emotions. But looking at themselves, sitting together at a ramen shop, _almost_ enjoying each other's company... It was almost too much for the young ninja, especially when he remembered that he and Sakura had to fight with all the power they owned to kill his team and bring him back... only _four days ago_.

And then, with a blast, everything was back to normal. Sasuke had returned and, due to some top secret information he had access to, he had decided to stay. Naruto had no idea what it was about, neither had Sakura, but Tsunade and Kakashi told them that it had to do with Sasuke's family and Konoha's justification. They were both surprised to hear such thing, as they both had thought that Konoha's elders _had_ made a mistake, but Tsunade said that, for the safety of an old and strong friend of the country, everyone was bound to believe that - except Sasuke, whose understanding and maybe even forgiveness depended on this information.

Sakura and Naruto had fallen silent afterwards, knowing not to question further a matter of top secrecy. Well... Sakura knew, actually, Naruto was only aware of her glare and inhuman strength.

Nevertheless, after some time to think about it, the young ANBU member realized what an impact the blast of information must have had on Sasuke. When, at Kakashi's request, he and Sakura had gone to ''welcome'' him back into the team, Sasuke was still in such shock that Naruto had doubted he had heard Kakashi when he said that he could go back home and get ready for the next day when he would train.

But he somehow relaxed when Sasuke looked at them for a moment before Naruto made the requested hand seals and the chains which were keeping the missing nin captive disappeared into smoke. Though Sakura and even Kakashi, though barely, visibly stiffened, Sasuke made no move to attack or run away. He just grunted and started walking towards the door silently, until he reached the spot where the kunoichi was standing and stopped for a moment. He looked at her, she looked at him, yet he turned his head and started walking once again, but not before clearly telling her something: ''I said _I'm staying_, Sakura.''

Obviously, he had noticed her defensive stance at the moment the chains vanished and seemed not to be happy about it. At the time, Naruto couldn't help but snicker and say something about him running out of Konoha at light speed after the first spar he'd have with Sakura and she had laughed with him. But leaving his jokes aside, Naruto was secretly hoping that either him or Sakura, if not both of them at once, would break all his bones for what he had done to them.

The ANBU member involuntarily grinned at the thought. Yes, first he'd Rasengan his pretty face, then Sakura's foot would greet his back as he flew, and they'd switch him back and forth until...

''_Naruto_.''

''Huh?'' The ninja dumbly managed to say, once again facing his former teammate, who was giving him an annoyed look.

''Did you even hear my question, dobe?'' Sasuke asked, clearly not happy with his companion's everlasting silliness. The missing nin quickly noted to himself that Naruto would never change.

Naruto, however, saw Sasuke's annoyance as an opportunity for a friendly fight they hadn't had in ages, and he instantly swore to himself he was not going to lose the chance. So, he smirked smugly and crossed his arms, turning away from Sasuke.

''Well, _teme_, I was too busy to think about how Sakura and I are going to kick your sorry ass at training today. But here's what's bothering me: should I be the first one to beat you to a pulp for almost killing me back then, or should I let Sakura-chan knock you out for breaking her heart? That's a hard choice, teme...,'' Naruto said, not aware of the twitch in Sasuke's eye.

While Naruto was glad that a fight was coming, Sasuke couldn't see the real meaning behind Naruto's words and saw them as a stab instead of a friendly, mental punch in the shoulder. Although he didn't show it, after a whole night of thinking and pondering, Sasuke was actually feeling sorry for what he had done to his friends, partially because now he definitely had nothing against Konoha, and partially because his now adult mind wasn't filled with hatred and revenge and could look at things seriously and without a clouded judgment.

Now, a part of that adult mind was telling him that, as proud as he was, he should have taken Naruto as an idol. Maybe not concerning table manners or... manners in general, fighting techniques, _definitely_ not girls (although Sasuke wasn't a master of flirting himself, mainly because he didn't really care about the natural urge of physical or even emotional contact with a woman), but... concerning the way of thinking about life, the optimism, maybe even a sense of humour, Sasuke should have followed Naruto's example.

And as he thought about things, he found out that even Naruto had more manners than him: calling your sensei an idiot is lacking manners in essence, but doing it when he's trying to save your life? Plain disrespectful. Believing your best friend is just an obstacle in your way? Selfish. Breaking a little girl's heart so many times, even when her love for you is true? Completely unforgivable.

So, Sasuke felt hurt not because Naruto had said those words, but because they were true. So painfully true. And even though he deserved more than what Naruto was saying, the ANBU themselves came for him. Brought him back. Killed that annoying girl, Karin (another thing he was grateful for). Gave him another _chance_. And Konoha had told him _the truth_.

With these thoughts filling his mind and completely forgetting about Naruto for a moment, Sasuke stood and started walking away without a word. Naruto, partially disappointed and partially alarmed that Sasuke honestly was about to leave unsupervised, almost fell off his chair in a failed attempt to grab his arm and called to him.

''Oi, teme! Where do you think you're going?''

Finally remembering he had company, Sasuke turned his head for a moment and smirked. ''Well, _dobe_, since all you can think about is fighting, I'm going to the training grounds, as we should, actually. But if you want to keep stuffing yourself, go ahead. Sakura is the 'guard' for me during the day, and she's over there,'' he finished, his head motioning towards the kunoichi who was, indeed, a few meters away from them, probably also heading towards the training grounds.

She saw them and waved as the two former friends approached her, Naruto having decided that his stomach was satisfied. After small greetings, Sakura gave her blonde friend a questioning look. ''Naruto-kun, what were you doing up so early? It's only 7 a.m. and we need to be there at 8.''

Naruto put both his hands behind his head as they started walking and shrugged. He then glanced at Sasuke before speaking. ''The teme wanted to meet up for some ramen and don't ask, I don't know either. But you're up pretty early too, Sakura-chan, and unless Ino needed you to hear some gossip, what were you doing?''

Sakura giggled and Sasuke had to notice how natural the two were acting around each other. And he also noticed how he wasn't a part of their conversation, but that wasn't supposed to bother him, right? He never really shared conversations as a genin, why would he want to do it now?

''Luckily for my sanity, no. But Kakashi-sensei told me to be there an hour earlier so I could fix some things in there... You know I went training with Tsunade-shishou last weekend...''

Naruto grimaced, making Sakura punch him in the shoulder. The blonde winced a bit, but she hadn't put any chakra in her fist, so it didn't hurt that bad. He stuck his tongue out at her. ''Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, you know that when you and Grandma are together you give all Konoha the chills!''

Laughter filled the air and even Sasuke had to smirk, though he was completely outside the conversation. True, even that day, when he was going towards the ramen shop, he had seen a woman scolding her child by telling him: ''If you don't listen to me, I'll tell Hokage-sama and Lady Sakura!''. The poor child was trembling.

Naruto somewhat tactfully invited Sasuke to join their talk after the laughter subsided. ''Say, teme, since I'll be watching you at night, you don't mind sleeping in my house, do you?''

The young ninja actually thought about it for a moment, but then shook his head. ''No, as long as I can take a couch or even the floor. You know you snore like a pig, dobe.''

Naruto blushed and a vein popped on his forehead. Then, he huffed and turned with his back to Sasuke. ''Says the one who was stuffing himself like a pig before throwing everything up on kind people's floor when he was a genin.''

''You were doing the exact same thing, dobe.''

''And your point is?''

''Just shut it, dobe.''

''Teme.''

Sakura barely resisted the urge to sigh and smile at her teammates' antics. In a way, she was finally happy. Naruto and Sasuke were acting like friends once again; they even had ramen together that morning. If she wanted to, she could have the same relationship with her reunited team as before.

But her eyes shut forcefully at the thought almost instantly and she almost tore her skirt apart with her fists as a sharp pain in her chest reminded her of the team's old relationship. And she took her decision. Naruto and Sasuke could have the old relationship, but she wasn't going to be Sasuke's puppy anymore. She was forced to respect him, now that they were teammates once again and he officially was a free citizen of Konoha, but that was it. She would not even let a mere friendship form between them, nothing that could have her heart broken again. _Nothing_.

''Sakura-chan?''

The kunoichi snapped out of her reverie and smiled warmly at her blonde friend. Yes, she thought, she had one amazing friend and it was more than enough.

''Hai, Naruto-kun?''

''You didn't say anything for a while and the teme here is practically _begging_ to sleep in the trash can. What do you think?'' Naruto asked cheerfully, completely ignoring Sasuke's murderous glare, as did Sakura.

She shrugged, just as innocently. ''I don't know, Naruto-kun. It's your job to keep him in your sight, so I guess you may place him wherever you wish, if you can supervise him better. I'm sure Sasuke-san will have nothing to object,'' she said with her index finger raised in her trademark gesture.

Sasuke would have said something, he really would have, but... Sasuke-_san_? It really shocked him for a moment, before he understood, although a bit sadly. The ninja sighed. Of course. She was forced to respect him now, so the kunoichi was adding the suffix in politeness. But not even he could deny that he missed the '-kun'.

''Ko-ni-chi-wa,'' a person they knew all too well greeted, after having appeared in a puff of smoke right in front of the reunited team. ''Look who's here early.''

As he looked around him, Sasuke realized that they were, indeed, at the gates of Konoha's training grounds. He undoubtedly recognized the place, although a bit sadly.

''Ohayoo, Kakashi-sensei! Look who's here _on time_!'' Sakura said, almost bewildered, as was Naruto. They both stared from each other to the grinning Kakashi and they even looked at Sasuke for a moment, who was, judging by his expression, just as surprised.

But their former sensei waved it all away with a chuckle. ''Relax, relax. I've been here since the middle of last night, getting stuff fixed,'' he finished, giving Sakura a small glare at the end of his sentence.

The kunoichi shifted a little and blushed, bringing a hand to the back of her head. ''But, umm... Didn't you call _me_ an hour earlier to do that?'' She tried to defend herself, yet Kakashi only sighed and ignored the snickering Naruto.

''Sakura-chan... I took a look at this place afterwards... We had to replace most things in here and I had to get a genin squad to help me. Luckily, you won't be training with the Hokage from now on...''

Sakura quickly recovered, giving Naruto a hard punch in the shoulder when he started dancing in happiness. ''What? Wh.. Why?''

Kakashi stood grimly in his place for a moment, staring at his three former pupils with a darkened eye. ''Because... I'm going to be the sensei of this team from now on!'' He finished cheerfully, giving his team the urge to slap him for scaring them for a few moments.

But before anyone could protest, Kakashi cleared his throat and, magically, the gates opened, revealing a place that brought back memories to every member of Team 7. It was the place where they had first fought (or, in Sakura's case, ran around and fainted) against their sensei, the place where they first acted like the team they were.

As Kakashi motioned for them to follow him inside, the two ANBU members in the team remembered, with a sad smile, the second time they were tested by their sensei, which was quite a long time ago as well. That time, Sasuke had only been there as an illusion created by Kakashi, but, nevertheless, Naruto and Sakura had passed the test as a pair - not a team.

Sasuke was not aware of their small flashback, as he was lost in his own thoughts. He was wondering what they were going to do that day, considering the fact that they had only been reunited as a team for a day. What was Kakashi going to test in them?

''Good, everyone!'' The sensei suddenly called, earning his students' attention. ''Today, we shall have sparring matches.''

At his announcement, Naruto cringed, realizing that, no matter who he was going to fight, it would be painful. But Kakashi continued.

''Everyone will fight against each other, but in a different style. Now, if you're wondering what I plan to check in you... This is mainly done for Sasuke, since, before seeing your teamwork, I want him to see what his teammates can or can't do. But this also applies for Naruto and Sakura, since although you are familiar with each other, you don't know much of Sasuke's fighting style and jutsu. So, I will want you to be as focused when you're watching as you are while fighting. Understood?''

The members of Team 7 nodded, even Naruto understood everything Kakashi had told them. But it wasn't anything new to them: their sensei had always been amazing at explaining training sessions, jutsus, missions, or anything like that.

Kakashi nodded back at his students and continued. ''Good. You will fight against each other using a different style every time. And that means: Taijutsu, Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. And now, so you can all understand: Naruto and Sasuke: Ninjutsu. Sakura and Naruto: Genjutsu. Sasuke and Sakura: Taijutsu.''

Naruto instantly reacted, smirking at his teammates. ''All right! I'm sorry, guys, but you're _so_ gonna get beaten!'' He declared. But then, he glanced at Sasuke and continued. ''Actually, teme, in your case, I'm not sorry, I'll enjoy kicking your butt.''

Sakura laughed with Naruto and Sasuke rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath, but nobody could understand him. However, Kakashi cleared his throat, forcing them to offer him their attention once again. ''Ignoring Naruto's little outburst...''

''Hey!''

''First spar: Naruto vs. Sakura. As I said: Genjutsu.''

As Sasuke and Kakashi jumped into a nearby tree, ready to watch, Naruto and Sakura, knowing each other like a brother and a sister, did not bother to worry about being too focused, at least now.

''I'm telling you now, Sakura-chan! Sorry if I go too hard on you!''

''No way, Naruto-kun! You know Genjutsu is _my_ thing!''

Kakashi only smiled at his students' relaxed manner and shook his head. Naruto and Sakura were almost too much like siblings and people almost always believed they _were_ a brother and a sister, unless they knew them.

''And you begin... Now!''

Sasuke was almost marvelled as, instantly, Sakura vanished into thin air, only leaving leaves in the place where she once stood and Naruto's hands formed a sign that Sasuke couldn't identify.

Naruto's eyes closed, knowing not to fall into his teammate's jutsu. He knew that if his eyes connected with the leaves Sakura had left behind her, his chakra would mix with Sakura's and, that way, she could access his subconscious and bring back the horrible memories she knew he possessed. That way, he'd have to surrender to her.

But Naruto knew the kunoichi's jutsu all too well. He had fallen for it before and he was aware of its perfection. Sakura never lost control of her chakra, so it would be harder for him to avoid her traps. Also, she was a master of Genjutsu, while Naruto barely had such skill.

And yet, his positive thinking was telling him that he _was_ going to defeat her somehow. He wasn't going to lose to her in front of Sasuke.

''Sakura-chan, you know I'm never gonna fall for that again!'' He yelled with eyes still closed, knowing that she would hear him.

''Don't you think you talk too much, Naruto-kun?'' Naruto heard her voice into his ear and unconsciously turned his head to the side, opening his eyes. Since Sakura's voice seemed to come from a place very close to him, he expected her to attack from behind.

But, to his surprise, he saw nothing, only the familiar trees that had been in the training grounds for as long as he could remember.

''Naruto-kun! I'm here!''

His head turned again, this time to his front, but, once again, he saw nothing.

''Oi, Naruto-kun!''

''I'm here!''

''Naruto-kun!''

Naruto was going crazy. He was spinning in circles, trying to find Sakura, who had been torturing him for quite a while. But when he saw rose petals fly in front of his face, he knew he had fallen into her Genjutsu. He gasped.

''But how? I know I closed my eyes in time!''

A giggle filled the air, and Naruto could finally see Sakura spinning along with the petals. The only problem was that she was moving so fast it seemed there was more than one Sakura!

Naruto felt the urge to check again and involuntarily looked at the leaves on the ground. In that very moment, the rose petals vanished and the giggle fell silent. The ninja had no idea what happened.

However, Kakashi and Sasuke realized the kunoichi's trick. ''She used a second Genjutsu to make him fall into the first one!'' Sasuke announced, surprised and impressed at the same time. Kakashi chuckled. ''Ne, ne, our Sakura isn't a Genjutsu master for nothing, is she?''

Naruto, on the other hand, didn't have any reason to chuckle. He had realized his mistake and Sakura's intentions and, as the Genjutsu set in, he fell on his knees. ''But what...?''

The kunoichi appeared next to him and gave the ninja a tap on the shoulder. ''I learn from my enemies, Naruto-kun.''

But, to everyone's surprise, as soon as she finished her sentence, Naruto disappeared, leaving smoke behind. Sakura gasped and Kakashi and Sasuke stared at the scene. ''A Shadow Clone?'' The kunoichi muttered.

Then, it dawned on her.

''Crap!'' She cursed and focused a precise amount of chakra into her feet, ready to leave the place, but it was too late. Her vision was clouded by blue eyes as the real Naruto stood before her, a smug look on his face. ''Got you, Sakura-chan!''

As soon as he finished the sentence, Sakura fell unconscious and Naruto caught her before she hit the ground. He looked up at his sensei. ''Oi, I win!''

Sasuke was dumbstruck. He had no idea what had just happened, but then again, Genjutsu was _always_ confusing. After jumping into the tree and gently placing the unconscious kunoichi on a tree branch, Naruto grinned at Sasuke and proceeded with an explanation.

''Surprised, teme? Sakura-chan was so focused on managing both jutsus she didn't realize I hid in the ground and left a clone behind! I let her think she got me, but then I defeated her with the only Genjutsu I got! She's probably dreaming of puppies right now.''

Sasuke hadn't understood the last part of the blonde's sentence, so as Naruto tried to wake Sakura up, Kakashi turned to his student. ''We all know that Naruto can barely handle Genjutsu, so he only has one technique. He channels an amount of chakra into his eyes and when he makes eye contact with the opponent, his chakra thunders into the individual's brain at light speed and instantly makes them fall asleep. If it were a real battle, Sakura would be having a terrible nightmare and ultimately be killed in her sleep, but since it's only a spar, she's having a sweet dream.''

As Sasuke finally understood the whole situation, he had to look at Naruto admiringly. He may have had only one Genjutsu technique, but it was a terribly good one, and he had defeated Sakura herself with it.

When the kunoichi woke up and saw the grinning Naruto, she immediately remembered what had happened. Although a bit sad at having lost, she congratulated her friend. ''Nice one, Naruto-kun. I had no idea what hit me.''

The blonde gave her a small punch in the shoulder. ''Of course you didn't! But since when do you, pinkie, do two Genjutsu's at the same time? Wanna kill me or something?'' He asked, obviously complimenting her skill, which honestly was impressing.

Kakashi smiled at the two friends. No matter who won in a spar, they always made each other feel better.

Sasuke was looking at them almost enviously. Maybe, if he hadn't left and hurt them, he'd be part of their 'family', not just the ''teme'' and ''Sasuke-_san_''.

''All right!'' Kakashi voiced. ''Next up, Naruto vs. Sasuke! As I said, Ninjutsu!''

Naruto grinned, eager to spar again, especially since his Ninjutsu skills were better than anyone else's in Konoha. ''Goodie, teme! Get ready to be knocked out!'' He yelled, jumping back on the ground and giving Kakashi and Sakura a wink. ''I won once today, I'm gonna do it again!''

Sasuke silently followed the blonde and, when his feet touched solid ground, activated his Sharingan. ''Hn, dobe. Don't get too full of yourself.''

''Begin!''

Sasuke attacked first, running towards Naruto at blinding speed, katana in hand. However, when the sword's tip and Naruto's right arm were only inches apart, the blonde jumped to his left and, when Sasuke redirected his katana, Naruto turned around and grabbed his teammate's hand and pulled, Sasuke's sword being shoved into the ground. The blonde ninja used the second Sasuke needed to take the weapon out of the ground to jump behind him and land a perfect kick onto his back.

Sasuke was sent back a few steps but quickly regained control of his motions and prepared to attack again, when Kakashi's voice interrupted him. ''Ninjutsu, you two!''

Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other, both with smirks on their faces. ''Alright, if that's how you want it!'' Naruto declared and, that instant, around thirty clones appeared next to him, all ready to attack. And when they did, Sasuke sent a precise amount of chakra into his feet and jumped high into the air, the diversion giving him enough time to perform the necessary hand signs.

As gravity pulled him back on the ground, he attacked. ''Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!''

Sasuke then sent perfect fireballs towards Naruto's clones, and most of them disappeared into smoke by the time Sasuke's feet reached the ground. The ones remaining were doing something that worried the ninja for a moment. Six pairs of clones were preparing Rasengan's, so Sasuke deduced that he'd have to dodge or counter six powerful jutsus, coming from different directions.

With a curse, he realized that he wouldn't be allowed to use Taijutsu to fight Naruto and, for a moment, truthfully appreciated the three different fighting modes of a shinobi, but brought his mind back to the spar the next second.

He honestly had no idea how Naruto could muster enough chakra to keep control of his clones _and_ perform six Rasengan's. But it was probably why he was an ANBU member.

When the clones charged, Sasuke remained where he was, not moving a muscle.

From the tree, Kakashi and Sakura were wondering what he was planning. ''If he doesn't move soon, he's going to get hurt badly,'' Kakashi muttered, looking at Sakura with the corner of his eye. He noticed that she was, most likely involuntarily, biting her lip. Kakashi smiled. 'So she still cares for him, after all...'

However, in a bush nearby, Naruto was trying to deduce what the hell Sasuke was doing. It was as if he suddenly got roots!

When the Rasengan's were all about to meet in one place, Sasuke's body, he opened his red eyes and almost imperceptibly grabbed the hands of two clones and brought them together, the chakra in their hands ready to explode from the connection. Just in time, he threw them towards the other four, who had stopped dead in their tracks, and the skilled ninja quickly jumped out of the way of the powerful explosion.

The three ninja that had been watching were staring with their mouths agape. A single mistake in Sasuke's movements or timing could have hurt him badly, Kakashi realized.

''A... Amazing,'' Sakura muttered, though, in the silence, each one of her companions was able to hear her. Sasuke looked up at her for a moment, then he smiled to himself at having impressed the kunoichi who had been so emotionless towards him until then.

Naruto then came into his view, having the same expression as Sakura. ''I'll say,'' he nodded, before regaining his composure and grinning smugly. ''But I'm gonna beat you anyway!''

Sasuke smirked back at him and deactivated his Sharingan for a moment. ''We'll see about that, dobe!''

''Teme!''

Naruto noticed that Sasuke was preparing his infamous Chidori, so he immediately summoned a Shadow Clone to help him create another powerful Rasengan. When their jutsus were ready, the two teammates charged, knowing that it was going to be the final attack.

However, Naruto was completely unprepared when Sasuke suddenly vanished in his running and appeared from underneath him, Chidori still in hand. He hit the gasping Naruto in the stomach and the blonde was sent flying into the sky, only to land hard on his back afterwards, thanks to gravity.

Naruto wasn't unconscious, since Sasuke had reduced the chakra in his Chidori, but he felt electricity in his stomach, along with some annoying pain. When the blonde opened his eyes, he saw Sasuke's hand, which he took.

When he was finally on his feet again (though barely), Naruto pouted at his friend. ''Not fair, teme!''

Sasuke grinned and helped him up into the tree, where Sakura rushed to his side and proceeded to heal the wounded blonde. ''Dobe,'' he started, ''that is the exact trick you used to defeat Sakura-chan.''

Sakura lifted her head in surprise. Sakura-_chan_? Was Sasuke Uchiha trying to be friendly? Also, he had defeated Naruto in the same way the blonde had defeated _her_, so... She realized it could be possible.

She smirked. Well, he may as well bring her chocolate and roses, but he'd never see her as his friend. Still, she didn't complain about the suffix: the kunoichi decided to let him be for the moment.

''When Sakura is done healing Naruto, we will have our last spar and then you can all go home,'' Kakashi announced.

Due to Sakura's skills and Naruto's fast healing manner, she was soon done and on the ground, ready for the spar. However, the kunoichi was still lost in her own thoughts and her Inner had decided to perk up. **''Not even if he gives you a puppy for your birthday?''**

''Oh, shut up,'' Sakura said out loud, not realizing that she was standing next to Sasuke, who lifted an eyebrow. ''I didn't say anything.''

''Not you!''

''...''

''Let's just... Get on with it.''

''Hn.''

''Begin!''

And so they did begin. Sakura charged at Sasuke with chakra filled fists and she tried to hit Sasuke's cheek, but he turned his head to the side just in time and the kunoichi's hand passed right beside his ear.

Sasuke immediately reached for his katana, which would have hurt Sakura pretty badly if she hadn't brought all her chakra in her feet, thing that immediately pulled her close to the ground as Sasuke's sword flew above her head.

Sakura's leg flew up, the intention being to hit Sasuke's jaw, but he dodged once again and his free hand grabbed her limb. Worried that Sasuke was going to try to amputate her foot with his katana, Sakura skillfully used her opponent's hold to her advantage, forcing Sasuke to sustain all her weight as she brought her other foot to his chest, the mere touch making him stumble backwards. The kunoichi did a back flip in the air and landed on the ground perfectly, facing her teammate.

Sasuke didn't have time to think about the effect only her touch had had on him, since about a dozen shuriken were flying his way at the moment. He easily dodged them and countered with his own, which Sakura blocked.

Next, Sasuke was the one to attack, once again with his katana, which was going straight towards Sakura's neck. She realized that he wouldn't have chosen that target if he hadn't known she'd be able to dodge or block, and, for a moment, she admired his faith in her. Truthfully, with a well-placed kunai, the katana was blocked in its path and, due to the sudden pressure, Sasuke was forced to pull it back.

However, he didn't falter and brought his foot up in an attempt to hit her shoulder. Sakura blocked with her hand and, once again, sent one of her fists towards Sasuke's face. She wasn't surprised when he smoothly used his hand to block.

From the side, they could hear Naruto's 'cheering'. ''Hey, teme, you worried Sakura-chan is going to smash your pretty face?''

Even Sakura had to roll her eyes, though she did it with a smile, while Sasuke muttered an inaudible 'dobe', before grabbing the kunoichi's fist and turning it around, forcing Sakura to turn with her back to him. He got a hold of her waist with his free hand, so she couldn't escape, and brought her elbow behind her head, making her hiss in pain.

It seemed the kunoichi was willing to take the risk of breaking her arm, since she turned around, to Sasuke's surprise, and hit his side with her knee. The shinobi was forced to release her due to the force of the impact and he fell over. Still, he was able to hear the crack that undoubtedly was the sound of Sakura's broken arm, fact confirmed by the scream that followed.

However, neither of them faltered. Sasuke, although painfully, stood on his feet once again and Sakura had remained on her spot. They were both aware of their wounds and dropping chakra levels, due to the previous fights. Because of the rules, Sakura wasn't allowed to heal herself since the technique was considered a jutsu, and she gritted her teeth.

While the two opponents stared at each other, Kakashi was furrowing his brows. ''They could go on like that forever,'' he let out, earning the blonde ninja's attention.

Naruto gave him a look. ''What are you saying? Sakura-chan's arm is broken and the teme surely has got some broken ribs after that hit!''

The jounin, however, only motioned towards the scene before them. ''Yes. And neither of them seems to falter. If they had used any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, the fight would have probably ended until now. But they seem to have the same skill in Taijutsu and they're losing their chakra, especially since they both fought you before sparring against each other. If it doesn't end soon, I'll end it myself.''

Naruto then fell silent and looked at his teammates. He was right, they were both hurt and losing chakra. And mainly because Sakura was an ANBU member, she wasn't allowed to be too wounded in a spar, or lose too much chakra, since they never knew when they'd be needed. That was why their sensei decided to stop the fight himself if it went on like that.

Oblivious to the small talk Kakashi and Naruto were having, Sasuke and Sakura were back into the battle. Even with one arm, the kunoichi seemed just as dangerous and Sasuke, who had two broken ribs, was still handling his katana almost perfectly.

After a clash of shuriken, Sakura started running towards Sasuke, who would have been ready to block her attacks if the position he was standing in hadn't affected his wounds more. Therefore, for a few moments, he felt such a sharp pain in his side that he couldn't even breathe.

The next thing he saw was Sakura's fist only centimeters apart from his face and only instinct made his hand go forward and pass the kunoichi's dangerous fist, then feel the soft fabric of her blouse.

Sakura was held back by Sasuke's hand and her fist only hit thin air. However, time stopped for Team 7, as the kunoichi's eye twitched, Kakashi and Naruto almost fell off the tree and Sasuke finally realized his hand was situated in the _worst_ place _**ever**_.

He blushed and removed it quickly. ''Gomen, Saku-''

Unfortunately, it was too late. ''You _jerk_!'' She yelled, bringing all chakra she had left to her foot, which kicked Sasuke directly between his legs. He was sent flying into the skies, as Naruto and Kakashi winced painfully and covered their eyes.

When Sasuke hit the ground, his body was twitching and he had lost all ability to form words. Kakashi was simply holding up a poker face, while Naruto poked Sasuke's limp form with a stick. ''I guess this means Sakura's the winner...'' Kakashi announced.

The kunoichi was still blushing madly and arranging her blouse, but she grinned at her victory. ''All right!''

Kakashi then looked at her with the same poker face. ''Ano, Sakura-chan?''

''Yes?''

''You realize you'll have to heal him, right?''


End file.
